Murderer's Fate
by Pintsizedpsycho
Summary: Hawke realizes far to late that she made the wrong decision. Now she and her companions are paying the price.


Hawke hangs limply by her wrist in a dimly lit room surrounded by her friends save for Anders and Varric. Anders because he was dead killed by her months earlier when the Mage Rebellion began and Varric she doesn't know why and is afraid that it is because he is dead. She has never been in more pain in her life then she is now not even when she fought the Arishok. She doesn't know how long they have been here days, weeks, months? Time just seems to bleed together here, she can't even tell time by the meager meals they are forced to eat. It is sometimes days before they are fed and they are given just enough water to stay alive and coherent. She doesn't understand why these mages are doing this to them. They don't ask them any questions, they just come in everyday and torture them calling them "Murderers", "Monsters", "Templar lovers".

Hawke forces herself to look over at Merrill, whose eyes stare blankly at the floor, her body bloody and bruised. She got the brunt of the mage's ire, they were ruthless with her, they branded her, whipped her, cut her, cut off several of her fingers and toes. She was the first to break, after the third finger they cut off she stopped praying to the Creators, stopped begging, and stopped crying out for Isabela. The only noises she made were screams when they tortured her but other than that she didn't respond to anything.

Isabela hangs next to Merrill her eyes just as blank body just as battered as her lovers. Hawke looks at Isabela's hands mangled hands, she would never be able to wield her daggers again, She would be lucky if she would still be able to hold a glass ever again let alone cheat at Diamond Back or Wicked Grace. Days after Merrill stopped responding to her Isabela seemed to give up. Hawke looks at her friend and her heart breaking knowing that when Merrill broke something in the Pirate Queen died.

Aveline is the only one not chained instead she leans against the wall her arms and legs swollen and bruised bent at unnatural angles. If they got out of this alive she would have to have all of her limbs amputated she would never be a true warrior again, the rest of her body just as battered as the other two. She was the third one to break though it wasn't the torture broke Aveline it was being forced to watch Donnic die. Hawke fights back tears as she remembers Aveline begging for her husband's life while Donnic screamed in agony as he was slowly taken apart piece by piece.

Sebastian still has some light and defiance in his eyes and Hawke can't help but wonder how long that will last. His bruised bloody lips form a silent pray; that Hawke is sure is being ignored. His left foot has been removed and cauterized so he wouldn't bleed to death. His once strong and graceful hands are mangled beyond repair he will never again hold his bow or notch an arrow. With his foot gone and his hands mangled he will never fire his bow again.

The last one she looks at is her lover, Fenris. He has suffered more than the rest of them combined. His once beautiful body is now a scared mess. The mages slowly and methodically remove every ounce of lyrim from his body he had screamed until his voice gave out. When she does pass out from the pain or lack of food she hears his screams in her dreams.

Her head jerks when she hears the door open and her heart skips a beat in fear. What else are they going to do to them? What else could they do? The mage who walks throw the door is a young woman Hawke vaguely remembers seeing. She would have been beautiful if it wasn't for the ugly look of hate on her face.

"Why?" Hawke asks her voice rough and cracks from days of screaming and begging as well as the lack of water.

"Why what Champion?" Lora asks as she walks slowly over to the former Prince who glares at her hatefully.

"Malificar," Sebastian rasps out he would have spit in her face but his mouth is to dry.

Lora throws her head back and laugh as she pulls up her selves and shows him her smooth wrist and hands as she says, "None of us here are malificar. We just want justice for the crimes you committed against us,"

"I have never seen you before!" Hawke tries to yell but it only comes out in loud whisper.

"YOU MURDERED MY SON!" Lora yells as she spins around to face Hawke. She strides over calling a small sphere of lighting into her hand before launching it at Hawke. This rips a scream of agony from Hawke as her body convulses.

"I have never…" Hawke starts but is cut off when Lora punches her in the stomach.

"He was an apprentice in the Gallows you fucking CUNT! YOU HELPED THE TEMPLARS MURDER MY SON! NOW…" The rest of what Lora was going to say is cut off as an eerily familiar voice calls out,

"That's enough Lora,"

Hawke looks back at the door way and all the blood drains from her face as she sees her former friend Anders standing in the door way looking at Lora like disappointed parent would a child. Lora glares at Hawke one more time before saying, "Of course ser,"

Hawke shakes her head back and forth in denial before whispering, "No. You're dead. I killed you myself,"

"When you kill someone Hawke you should really make sure their dead before walking away. You see I wasn't quite dead and if it wasn't for some the mages you condemned to death for my actions I would have been. They saved me as they fled the city," Anders explains looking at Hawke in disgust before turning and cupping Lora's face lovingly. Lora leans into Anders hand and looks at him with love and adoration. He smiles at Lora once more before he turns and faces Hawke saying,

"We need to move on. We have been here three months and that's a month to long. So Hawke you and your companions are here by sentenced to death for 5,232 counts of murder,"

"What?! You can't be serious! I spared as many of the mages as I could!" Hawke begins coughing violently.

Anders watches Hawke dispassionately waiting for her coughing to subside. Once it doses he says, "The only mages that survived were the ones who escaped before you and your beloved templars slaughter them like cattle. The ones you ispared/i were all made tranquil. Including Bethany," Anders smiles as a look of horror passes over Hawke faces and has to fight back a laugh as her eyes fill with tears. She begins shaking her head in denial as the tears clear a path through the blood and grim on her face.

"No. You're lying. Cullen gave me his word they would be spared. That he would be merciful," Hawke whisper as horror spread through her body.

"Really Hawke did you never listen to me? The Templars no nothing of mercy, they think ripping away everything we are is a mercy. Oh Hawke you stupid little girl.(Sigh)Bethany you may come in now," Anders calls out as he looks toward the door. Hawke watches the door and can't stop the scream of anguish that escapes her abused throat as Bethany walks into the room. Her beautiful face expressive face now emotionless, her once vibrant and joy filled eyes blank. Nothing of her beloved sister remained but a walking shell.

"You called Anders," Bethany says in a monotone voice not even looking at her sister.

"Tell you sister what happened after she fled the city," Anders says looking at Hawke with a cruel look of glee in his eyes.

"Only hours after you left the Gallows all the surviving mages were gathered in the harrowing chamber and made tranquil. It was easy because there were only fifty of us left," Bethany explained in the cold matter-of-fact way of the tranquil.

"No. He swore," Hawke cries out shaking her head again in denial.

"Bethany please tell her who ordered rite," Anders says just wanting to rub salt in the wound.

"Knight-Commander Cullen," Bethany answers never taking her dead doll like eyes off of Anders. Anders smiles as Hawke sobs out her denial.

"Yes Hawke. You murdered your only surviving family member isn't that wonderful," Anders says with a smile on his faces as Hawke begins sobbing.

"Why isn't he here? Why isn't that lying bastard hanging here with the rest of us?" Hawke demands, wishing she could have enjoyed the templars torture.

"He was too well guarded Hawke. He is after all the new Knight-Commander of the Gallows. Before you ask yes Bethany was still in the Gallows but they don't guard the tranquil all that well. After all you don't need to worry about a mindless doll wondering off now do you. Oh yes before I forget, _Varric_," Anders says his name like it is a curse, "We will get him too. Maybe. A group of Seekers grabbed him before we could. So we will have to wait and see if he survives his chat with them,"

Anders then looks away from Hawke and calls out the door "Alex, James. Come in here and hold the Champion's head,"

Two mages walk into the room, one young maybe in his late teens to early twenties and the other in his mid-forties. The younger mage would have been handsome if it weren't for the horrible burn scar takes up the whole right side of his face, his once dark brown eye now an ugly milky white. It looked like his face was pushed into a fire held there for several minutes. The older mage was average looking with graying hair that had been black in his younger days but his most defining feature are his hard blue eyes. They eyes of someone who had seen too much pain and suffering for one lifetime. The walks up to Hawke and hold her head and the older mages, Alex, says,

"This is for my Cicely you murdering bitch,"

Anders pulls a knife off of his belt and hands it to Bethany and says, "Everyone will have to know why the great Champion of Kirkwall died. Carve the word "Murder" into her forehead,"

"No! Bethany don't! I'm your sister!" Hawke cries out as Bethany starts toward her.

"You should have thought of that before you sided with the templars now should you have _Champion_," James says then spits in her face.

Anders says, "I would love to stay and watch but I have other responsibilities to attend to. Bethany after you finish with your sister, carve murder in the rest of their foreheads except for Merrill. Carve traitor into her forehead,"

"Yes Anders," Bethany says before she begins cutting the M into Hawke forehead ripping a scream of pain from her.

Anders walks out of the room smiling. He walks down the hall barking out orders to make ready for the executions.

Several hours later Anders watches as his former companions are dragged out into the courtyard of the abandon fort. The court yard is loud with everyone talking at once; many are screaming curses at the Champion and her Companions. They are all forced down on their knees facing the chopping block and a large former-templar with a large double headed battle ax as well as the angry mob in front of them. Anders walks in front of the crowed and raises his hands, the people almost instantly calm down. Anders turns and faces Hawke before saying,

"Hawke you and your companions have been found guilty of multiple counts of murder. Do you have anything to say before the sentience is carried out,"

"I was only protecting the people of Kirkwall," Hawke says in a voice too weak to be heard by the crowd. Anders sneers at her before repeats her answers so that everyone can hear it. The people begin crying out in outrage several even pick up rocks and throw them at her. Hawke cries out as one of the stones catches her in the face breaking her nose.

"YOU MURDERING BITCH!"

"THE MAGES WERE PART OF THE CITY TOO!"

"YOU MURDERED MY LOVER!"

Anders raises his hands once again to quite the crowd's outrage at Hawke's claim.

"I understand your anger but she and her co-consperiters are going to pay for their crimes,"

"How about you? When are you going to pay for you crimes? Where the justice for all the people you murdered in the Chantry" Hawke asks as she glares at Anders back. Anders turns and faces her and says,

"I have paid for my crimes, you seen to that Hawke. But my body count was near what yours is. You see there were only thirty people in the Chantry that night and only additional 20 from Dark Town to High Town,"

Hawke watches helplessly as Anders signals to the guards standing behind Fenris who pick up the unresponsive elf and begin dragging him to the chopping block. They force the elf down on his knees then forces him down onto the chopping block. The man next the chopping block raises the ax and waits for the signal to execute the elf.

"Anders please! Don't do this! Please I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Forgive us!" Hawke calls out not taking her eyes off of her lover.

Anders glares at Hawke and raises his hand and motions for the executioner to wait. He walks over the Hawke and cups her face. He smiles when hope blossoms in her eyes before throwing his head back laughing deep.

"What you did is unforgiveable," Ander says then steps out of her way and signals to the execution to continue. The executioner nods his head before bringing the ax down on the elf neck neatly severing his head in one clean strike. Hawke lets out a scream of anguish as she watches her lover's head roll away while the crowd cheers. Hawke begins begging again as they start dragging Aveline over to the chopping block.

Three Miles outside Kirkwall.

Cullen looks at the five severed heads on pikes. Each head has murderer covered into it forehead except for the mage who has traitor carved into her forehead. He walks up to the head in the center and sighs sadly as he recognizes the Champion of Kirkwall. He says a quick silent prayer.

"Where are their bodies?" Cullen asks as he turns away from the severed head and looks at the Templar recruit who is looking green as he stares at the severed heads. Cullen clears his throat to get the recruits attention. The recruit jumps before he looks at Cullen he holds out his hand with a piece of parchment in it and says,

"We don't know ser. It was just their heads, along with this note addressed to you and Messer Varric,"

Cullen takes the parchment and begins reading,

_Dear Knight-Commander Cullen and Varric Tethras,_

_These are the butchers of the Gallows. For the crime of slaughtering thousands of innocent men, women and children they were sentenced to death. The both of you too have been sentenced to death. No matter where you go we will find you and you will face justice for your crimes._

_iYours,/i_

_A_


End file.
